Customer Reviews

Madison Avenue Maxi

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a delight! In this already hectic holiday season, Maxi was a breath of fresh air. For all dog lovers and anyone who wants an escape that is both heart-warming and fun.

"Madison Avenue Maxi" is a charming, well-written story that lovingly chronicles the journey of an adorable little dachshund and her famous people-parents, Elke and Ben Gazzara. I enjoyed the book very, very much.

While to some people, on the surface, this may seem like a simple book about a world-traveling dog and the movie stars, politicians and movers and shakers that she meets with her parents, this book is MUCH deeper than that. Honestly, when I read it, I cried. Maxi and her tale merely set the stage for a series of touching events that unfold in normal people's everyday lives: family struggles and discontent blossom into love, serious health problems become beautifully inspiring and healing moments, friendships grow and change, hardened hearts soften and in spite of unforeseen challenges, life does go on . . . and it goes on with style, with joy, with chins up and with a few barks and wags along the way.

Elke Gazzara paints a vivid picture of her "best friend" Maxi that will touch your heart and make you wish you had a Maxi of your very own. But don't take my word for it!!! Read for yourself. ; )

Having a dog is no easy task. They require a lot of work and personal interaction -- talking, walking, bathing, grooming, and just plain old loving -- dogs need their people as much as people need their dogs. I always considered myself a cat person. I grew up with Mittens, our family tabby who died at the old age of 12, and since then have adopted several cats that I watched get old and finally leave the mortal coil. When we moved to Turks & Caicos I brought three cats with me from the states.

So when my husband, who moved a few months before me, started talking about this stray potcake who kept following him home smiling all the way, my first response was, "Please just don't feed it!" We had a disastrous dog adoption experience once and I did not want to repeat that ever again. Long story short, suffice it to say that Smiley's picture graces my Blackberry, we keep a supply of treats on the kitchen counter, and I now understand the "dog thing".

Elke & Ben Gazzara happened into their lovely Maxi in a similar way. Elke's daughter adopted a dog and then couldn't keep her. Ben did not want a dog in the house, and as a working actor with much traveling a dog was not convenient. But that little dachsund Maxi wormed her way into their house and then into nearly every high end restaurant, hotel, boutique, party, hospital, and several film sets along the way.

But Madison Avenue Maxi is not only about a dog, but about her people. We see Ben & Elke in good times and bad, going through health crises, career changes, unexpected travel, but always with Maxi by their sides (or under the table in a bag). It is a book that speaks to the common bonds and life experiences of pets and their humans, and while sappy at times appeals to the best in human (and canine) nature, a highly enjoyable read.

In Madison Avenue Maxi, the wife of a movie star provides an inherently fascinating and engagingly personal memoir of the life and times of the family dog, a miniature dachshund she and her husband adopted, and offers up whimsical, fun anecdotes on how to dog became a part of their fast-paced, globe-trotting lifestyle. Any general-interest library strong in books about pets and stars will find it a fun leisure choice indeed.

This book is a perfect gem! It is a warm, transformative story about how Maxi, a charming dog, captures the hearts and affection of a busy couple.

This beautifully designed book would make a perfect gift for anyone and certainly for animal lovers.

But readers of all kinds will love this book as it is also a fine piece of debut non-fiction writing.

For every parent who ends up raising their child's unwanted pet. Enjoy how Maxi the dog, captivates his grandparents and becomes an indispensable part of their home.

The Daily Dachshund and Dog News said:

Madison Avenue Maxi is being billed as a Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog for the uptown set, but it's no Marley and Me. The book is completely lacking in both character and plot development. And clearly no one ever told the author, Elke Gazzara, that the first rule of story telling is "show don't tell."

Over and over again, the writer, whose main claim to fame is being married to the actor Ben Gazzara, tells us how wonderful and smart Maxi the mini doxie is but we never get any concrete examples of her wonderfulness and smartness other that that she sits quietly in her dog bag in fancy restaurants and the business class section of overseas flights.

Madison Avenue Maxi is mildly interesting in a voyeuristic way for those already predisposed to reading about the lavish lifestyles of Manhattan's moneyed class, but that's it. There is absolutely no Marleyesque bestseller potential here.

Unless you have a teenaged girl who's both a Dachshund and a Gossip Girl Boxed Set fan, do not buy this book for full price. It will be remaindered very, very soon - and even then, it might not be worth it.